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1.1.1. Introduction
1.1.1. Introduction
A supernova is the explosion of a star. It is the largest explosion that takes place in space. It is a transient astronomical event, occurring during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion. The original star, called the progenitor, either collapses to a neutron star or black hole, or it is completely destroyed. The peak optical luminosity of a supernova can be comparable to that of an entire galaxy, before fading over several weeks or months.
1.1.2. Where do Super Novas take place?
1.1.2. Where do Super Novas take place?
Supernovas are often seen in other galaxies. But supernovas are difficult to see in our own Milky Way galaxy because dust blocks our view. In 1604, Johannes Kepler discovered the last observed supernova in the Milky Way. NASA’s Chandra telescope discovered the remains of a more recent supernova. It exploded in the Milky Way more than a hundred years ago.
1.1.3. What Causes a Supernova?
1.1.3. What Causes a Supernova?
A supernova happens where there is a change in the core, or center, of a star. A change can occur in two different ways, with both resulting in a supernova.
The first type of supernova happens in binary star systems. Binary stars are two stars that orbit the same point. One of the stars, a carbon-oxygen white dwarf, steals matter from its companion star. Eventually, the white dwarf accumulates too much matter. Having too much matter causes the star to explode, resulting in a supernova.
The second type of supernova occurs at the end of a single star’s lifetime. As the star runs out of nuclear fuel, some of its mass flows into its core. Eventually, the core is so heavy that it cannot withstand its own gravitational force. The core collapses, which results in the giant explosion of a supernova. The sun is a single star, but it does not have enough mass to become a supernova.
1.1.4. How close does a supernova need to be to damage the Earth's environment?
1.1.4. How close does a supernova need to be to damage the Earth's environment?
The conclusion seems to be that a supernova would need to be within tens or hundreds of light-years from us to cause significant damage to the Earth and life on our planet.
Luckily, the closest star that is massive enough to undergo a "type II" supernova explosion is farther away than that! (A type II supernova occurs when a massive star runs out of fuel in its nucleus, then collapses and explodes; the exact time when these supernovae will occur is difficult for us to predict. An alert reader has pointed out that there is a nearby star system which may be capable of undergoing a type I supernova -- in this type of supernova, a compact white dwarf star accretes matter from a companion until an explosion is triggered. However, it is likely that it will be hundreds of millions of years before the supernova actually occurs, at which point the system will have moved much farther away than it is now.
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Project research by-
Project research by-
Anirudha Singh (President, NSO)
Aditya Kumar Verma (Team Manegement Officer)
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